Issue Date: September 30, 2007
Important news for mothers-to-be
Strong evidence on diabetes
High blood sugar during pregnancy is dangerous for Mom and Baby.
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If your blood sugar is high during pregnancy but you've never been diagnosed with diabetes, you have what's called "gestational diabetes." This affects 135,000 women yearly, reports the American Diabetes Association.
Now, a seven-year international study of 23,000 pregnant women finds that even slightly elevated blood sugar levels can pose problems.
As blood sugar rises, Mom and Baby both are at risk for complications. The newborn might be overly large, with breathing problems and shoulder injuries at birth; the mother has a greater chance of needing a first-time cesarean section. And the chances for diabetes later in life go up for both.
Advice for different stages:
Pregnant? Be sure your ob/gyn knows about the study's new findings. Because women who get gestational diabetes tend to be older and overweight and to have high blood pressure, experts have argued that these factors are to blame for pregnancy complications. Wrong, says researcher Boyd E. Metzger, M.D., professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "It's the relationship to glucose -- and not the coexisting factors -- that cause the problems." As a result, "what was considered the upper range of 'normal' probably will be lowered."
Plan to get pregnant? Cut risks by losing weight and improving physical activity, Metzger advises.
Had the baby? Gestational diabetes often precedes type 2 diabetes, so be sure your blood sugar stays normal. -- Susan T. Lennon
-- Susan T. Lennon
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